


Rush Reaction

by Maleficent265



Series: Reader Inserts - The Flash [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Meta-Human Reader, Reader Insert, Romance, Speester!Reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-14 07:25:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8003683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maleficent265/pseuds/Maleficent265
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You and Harrison start working together to increase Barry's speed but instead of finding a solution, you both end up finding each other instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rush Reaction

**Author's Note:**

> Request: Imagine being a speedster like Barry and working together with Earth 2 Harrison Wells to help Barry increase his speed(like a test subject, but the good kind) and falling in love with him. Maybe E-2 Wells feels something back? Tension, fluff, angst(like Start Again):D
> 
> Y/N = Your Name
> 
> Everybody enjoy and leave me a review! Thanks for reading! 
> 
> My Tumblrs: Maleficent265, A-Hero-Complex.

_“What?!”_ Harrison bit, his gaze snapping away from his computer screen to stare directly at you.  


You bit your lip and warily took a step toward him; his fingers twitching against the armrest of his chair as he continued watching you with a hard expression. He looked like he was about to get up and flip the desk right onto its side but he remained impossibly still - _tense_ even. His posture reminded you of some familiar of bird of prey that had perched itself in a tree; waiting and watching just seconds before striking and descending down on an unsuspecting victim- that victim being _you_.

“I know I’m not...” You started again, still trying not get him riled up which was easy to do these days. “I’m not as fast as Barry but maybe you could run some tests and help me increase my speed... I know you used to do that type of thing for Jay back on _your_ earth. So, maybe if you made that serum again - _Velocity 6_ \- we could come up with a way to help Barry get faster.”  


_“No.”_ His response was firm and given so fast that your mind was racing to catch up with his actual answer.

You frowned and watched as Harrison spun his chair back around to face his computer and start jabbing at his keyboard... You shook your head. Everyone was stressing over Zoom and these breaches, Barry was freaking out about _not_ being fast enough and walking around the lab like a homeless puppy, and you knew what _that_ felt like, while Cisco and Harry bickered back and forth about scientific crap you didn’t really understand. Caitlin and Jay were busy doing... Whatever it was they were doing and you were just pacing around the cortex, being completely useless. You just wanted to help.

You had _speed-force_ running through your veins... Granted, you were woefully slower than Barry Allen which was one of the many contributing factors as to why you didn’t do much on the crime fighting front unless it was preventing a little breaking and entering or coming to the aid of someone who was in the process of getting mugged but other than that, you had a normal day job and _never_ did anything about the meta-humans running around Central City.

You’d _tried_... You had gone out with Barry a few times to offer him support but it always ended badly. He always had to drag you back to the lab - you and your broken limbs and black eyes - like a rag doll. You just weren’t fast enough and couldn’t keep up with him or any of the other meta-humans...

So, that left you in the lab as the backup speedster who was sluggish in comparison with _The Flash._ You were practically a disappointment... Not that anyone on the team would ever actually say that, except for Harrison which was one of the reasons you avoided him most of the time. He always called it how he saw it and you didn’t want him to see _you_ and your lackadaisical speed... Until today.

“Why not?” You asked hotly, still burning holes into the back of Harry’s head with your eyes. “I can help.”  


He huffed as if that was _laughable_ and you felt your heart drop to your stomach because _that_ hurt just little bit... You already _knew_ you were a waste of space and you didn’t need him to throw it back at you like that.

_“What?”_  


“You’re not a hero.” He began bluntly, causing your heart to shatter. Harrison’s blue stare pulled away from the computer once more before it landed back on you.  


You were biting you lip again because _fuck_ , you were tired of not being able to help... “If this is about my speed, then shoot me up with something. I can get faster if you just-”

“I’m not going to shoot you up with _anything_.” He growled. “I designed the Velocity series specifically for Jay... It wouldn’t work for you.”  


“Is that the only reason?” You asked quietly, holding your breath and bracing for his response.

“What do you mean?”  


“Jay got addicted to it, _right_?”  


Harrison’s eyes pinched shut before he let out a sigh. “Y/N...”

“If you’re worried about that maybe... Maybe if you monitor me and if you start seeing signs of addiction we can _stop_.” You reasoned. “But I don’t want to sit here anymore and feel like I’m just the team mascot. I can _help._ Use my speed... _Please_.”  


You were so nervous over the thought of rejection that you were lightly vibrating... You were literally buzzing from top to bottom and Harrison clearly noticed; his eyes sweeping across your frame before he ran a hand through his hair and forced himself to meet your jittery gaze.

“The tests I put Garrick through were _excessive_ and _harmful_ on his body.” Harrison answered. “He didn’t only become _addicted_... It started killing him and then he lost his speed and lost the ability to restore his health along with it.”  


“Wait,” You frowned again... “Are you trying to tell me that Jay’s _dying_?”

“That’s exactly what I’m telling you.” Harrison removed his glasses and began rubbing at his eyes with the pads of his fingertips before saying, “I will _not_ put another human being through those tests again.”  


“Even if it means saving your daughter?”  


“ _Don’t._..” He growled, his eyes snapping onto you.  


“ _Why_? Because you’re afraid your paternal instincts will kick in and you’ll pick Jesse?” You placed your hands on your hips and shrugged. “That’s that I’m asking to do.”  


“No, you’re asking me to _kill_ you in order to save my daughter.” He glared up at you and shook his head... “I don’t want to be put in a position where I have to choose.”  


_“I_ chose.” You argued. “What if this was the only way to get her back - to stop Zoom...? You could potentially save _hundreds_ of lives.”  


He scoffed. “By sacrificing yours... _That_ would make me a hero?”

 _“You’re not a hero.”_ You said quietly, repeating his words and watching his facial expression twist from anger to remorse because maybe he shouldn’t have said that... Even so, it didn’t make it any less true. You took a deep breath and stepped toward him again. You were all but hovering over his chair. “You don’t even know me... So why does it matter?”

“I’ve spent the last few months watching you and the rest of these kids put their lives on the line for a city that’s going to the dogs and you want to accuse me of not knowing who you are.” He said sternly... “I know you well enough to understand that this team would suffer a great loss if you weren’t here... You might not be as fast as Allen but you’re _not_ worthless. You don’t realize what you’re asking.”  


You sighed... You could plead your case from dawn until dusk but this man was stubborn and couldn’t be persuaded. You wanted to scream at him but you didn’t because it wouldn’t help. So, instead you turned away and started moving for the exit.  


_“Wait...”_ His hard-nosed voice wrapped around you moments before you were out the door. You stopped and turned around to see him leaning forward in his chair; his elbows braced over his legs as he ran his hands over his face. Harry look up; fixed you beneath a steely glare and said, “If we do this, I’m in charge...”

You gave him a hurried nod...

“If we do this...” He began again, closing his eyes briefly before staring you down once more. “If anything goes wrong, I’m pulling the plug and we never revisit this. _Ever_...”  


_“Absolutely.”_ You promised. “You’re in charge.”  


* * *

Practically bouncing on the balls of your feet, you nodded here and there as Harrison paced back and forth, talking about... _Science stuff_. The type that went right over your head but it didn’t matter because you were excited to finally be playing an important role on this team. Harrison had tried explaining things to you; the way the serum worked, what to expect, certain side effects to watch out for - told you to let him know the very instant you started experiencing any negative reactions. You missed most of it because you were too excited to pay attention to _anything_ he said. There was a specific plan for helping Barry Allen increase his speed and _you_ were finally a part of it... What more could you ask for?

Dressed in some sort of flame resistant spandex, you stood on the beefed-up treadmill and watched with a ridiculous smile as Harrison punched your stats into the control pad... His fingers stilled over the catches before lifting his stare to you; his brow knit and mouth pursed.

“Did you _hear_ me?”  


_“What?_ No, I was listening.” You lied... _Oops_. He narrowed his gaze and eyed you for a moment, causing you to give him an innocent smile and quickly add, “But um... Maybe you could say it one more time just in case I missed anything important.”   


“I asked you a _question_.” Came his mirthless growl.  


“ _Oh_... Um...”  


“What’s the fastest you’ve run?” He repeated, pinning you beneath a hard yet exasperated glare.  


Your expression fell... It was no big secret that you were slower than Barry. You knew that - _admitted_ it - and it wasn’t as if Harrison wasn’t already aware of the situation, what with an apathetic speedster moping around the lab, using the super-computers to play scrabble with random people online... You weren’t fast and you weren’t a scientist... You were just - well - _you_.

 _“Mach-1.5.”_ You finally answered, dropping your gaze to the running-belt beneath your feet. “Below it, actually.”  


You expected him to snort or make some hurtful remark about how Barry was _three_ times faster but he didn’t... Almost as if he sensed your awkwardness, Harry remained silent as his fingers began moving over the control pad’s numbered catches before entering: _1,150.9 MPH._

Glaring down at the screen, you fisted your hands... You _hated_ that number. Mach-1.5 was all the faster you could go and every time you used this damn treadmill; no matter how hard you pushed yourself, that number was always blinking at you through the screen - taunting you - reminding you that you couldn’t improve.

A warm touch coiled around your bare forearm, causing you jerk slightly and snap your stare onto Harrison, who was watching you through penetrating blue eyes; holding fast to your limb with one hand while the other was wrapped around the jet injector that he’d been tinkering with off and on over the past few days... He’d clearly startled you and whether he meant to or not, his thumb began smoothing circles against your arm. You relaxed a bit and allowed him to pull you closer by stepping to the edge of the treadmill platform.

Harrison jarred the jet injector a bit, causing it to click and catch your attention before asking, “Are you ready?”

You nodded and bit your lip. “Will this hurt?”

“ _Probably_...” He said slowly as he placed the tip of the injector over the inside of your elbow. “Do you want to stop?”  


“No.” You shook your head rather chaotically. “No, we need to do this.”

Lowering his gaze to your arm, Harry pulled the trigger and _fuck_... The sharp jab felt like teeth sinking into your skin and had your body pitching over Harrison; barley managing to grip at his shoulder to keep yourself upright. The pain held on for a few seconds longer as the serum continued pushing through your skin until, at length, it subsided and turned from an agonizing bite to a dull pulsating ache.

It was then you realized Harrison’s shoulder was flexing under your fingers; your nails digging into the tissue beneath his shirt, causing him to grunt and tense. You were _hurting_ him... Your hold loosened a bit before sliding your hand away all together. You weren’t sure if it was the pain or the serum beginning to run it’s course but there were a series of tremors rippling through your body.

“You okay?” He asked with a buckled brow, noting the consistent quake working its way through your frame.  


“Yeah. I’m...” You started, frowning at the sound of your voice as it sped up with a mind of its own. You supposed that meant the serum was working, especially since your heart was now beating against your ribs like a jackhammer. You felt... _Funny_. It was as if you’d been injected with straight adrenaline and a good helping of caffeine along with it. “I’m fine.”

“I’ll be _there_.” Harrison pointed to the glass viewing room behind him. “If you start feeling dizzy, I’ll need to know.”

“I’ll tell you.” You assured him in an overtly quick matter that was very unlike you.  


He gave you an unconvinced look and turned for the door... “Start the treadmill when you’re ready to run.”  


* * *

“How did I do?” You asked, wincing a bit at you hugged your newly broken arm to your chest.

“Before or after you blacked out?” He gnarled, stepping toward the treadmill and hitting the reset button with a hard _thump_.  


“Um... _Before_ , probably.” You answered.  


“It was _rhetorical_ question.” He gruffed, rounding on you and crossing his arms before fixing you beneath a lethal glare. 

_“Oh...”_

His sharp stare roved over the planes in your face, his eyes catching on the places where you’d gotten scuffed up on the running-belt after hitting face-first. With a rough sigh, he dropped his gaze... “Maybe we shouldn’t do these tests.”

“What? _No_... This was just-”  


“You _lost_ consciousness!” He barked. Harrison pointed to the back wall directly behind the treadmill. “Running damn-near mach-1 you _dropped_  on a moving belt and hit the fucking wall. Your arm is _broken_. You’re lucky that didn’t _kill_ you.”

“I guess speedsters are pretty resilient.” You said with a smile, trying to unsuccessfully lighten his mood.

“ _Your arm is_ _broken_...” He growled again, shaking his head. “We can’t keep doing these tests.”  


“Harry, come on... This was just the first try.”

“And the  _last_.”

Pursing your lips, you glared up at him...

“I’ll _heal_.” You bit back before shakily getting to your feet and _attempting_ to stomp off... 

You were cut short, however, after an agony you’d never known ripped through you entire body, causing you to curl in on yourself. With a harsh half-stifled whimper, you dropped to the ground and clenched your eyes as the pain continued rippling through your bones like a sharp-toothed predator had been eating at you from the inside.   


A strong grip coiled around your shoulders and you opened your eyes, registering the warm burst of air hitting the back of your neck as Harrison crouched at your side and hovered over you; his presence heavy and comforting.

“ _Breath_. Keep breathing...” He whispered, his fingers tightening briefly before smoothing his hands down your back. It was then you realized you had been hyperventilating. “Where does it hurt?”

You tried to answer, _really_ , but the pain jetting through your body made anything above a strained groan incredibly difficult to verbalize. You exhaled a puff of air that resembled a repressed sob.

“Tell me where it hurts.” He said again, his hands still gripping at your back as if to make an attempt to relieve the pressure.   


_“Ev-Everywhere.”_ You finally managed through a rasp.  


“It’s a side effect from the injection...” He said before shifting himself at your side to lift you to your feet. “Lets get you to the sick bay.”

* * *

Harrison shot you up with your third dose of pain-meds, which caused your body to relax ever so nicely. Your head dropped back against the pillow and you smiled as the painful tremors running through you began to melt away. Morphine was nice even for a speedster who could easily expel it from their system in a matter of minutes...

“Feeling better?”  


You nodded and flashed a goofy smile before asking, “Is that going to happen every time I take your _Velocity-6?”_

“You didn’t take V-6.” Harrison said bluntly as he dropped the needle on the stainless steel surgical table next to your bed. “I altered the formula to avoid...” He gestured awkwardly to you as you laid loopy and injured on the gurney. “ _That_.”  


“You did a _great_ job...” You teased through a snort, causing him to huff and roll his eyes. “So, what was in it?”  


“It doesn’t matter because you’re never taking it again.”  


Blinking up at him as he loomed over the gurney, you weighed your options... With a strange mixture of morphine and whatever Harrison had injected you with before you started running, you were beginning to feel lightheaded, which put you in a _horrible_ position to even attempt to argue with him. Despite your speed, Harrison could run circles around you with his intelligence and quick-witted retorts and quite frankly, the thought of bickering with him exhausted you, especially since you were sore and drugged up.

Your eyes roved over the hardened edges of his face - the dark circles and chronic scowl covering his features - which made you wonder how long it had been since he’d gotten a decent nights sleep or a meal for that matter - one that didn’t involve greasy fast-food burgers or those boxes of stale cereal that Cisco had stashed in the break room.

Harrison had a, for lack of a better term, resting bitch face and rarely exhibited any sort of emotion that went outside the realm of fuck-off which was unfortunate considering how handsome he really was.

 _“What?”_ He started in that rough way of his, causing you to blink once more and meet his sharp blue eyes.  


You shrugged with the hint of a lethargic smile twisting over the corners of your mouth; an action that had him glaring suspiciously in response... Yeah, he’d caught you staring but you were far too wasted to care at the moment, let alone give a damn about being embarrassed. So, you _talked_...

“You have a really nice smile.”  


Harry’s eyes narrowed into slits before cocking his head and giving a dry, unhurried, “Thank you...”

“Although, I’ve never actually seen _you_ smile. Eobard, though...” You paused, which _of course_ caught his attention. “He used to smile a lot. You know, before he killed Cisco and tried leveling the city.”  


Harrison’s mouth formed a tight line and he crossed his arms before continuing to stare down at you as you pushed yourself upright; still favoring the arm that had been broken and now haphazardly thrown into a sling.

“Do you want to know what he did to _me_?” You asked.  


Harrison tipped his head and softened his gaze. “Did he _hurt_ you?”

“Not in the same way he hurt Barry or Cisco... Or anybody else. It’s just...”

“What?”  


“He _ignored_ me... He always used to tell me I wasn’t _fast enough.”_ You said quickly, air-quoting around Eobard’s previously uttered statement. “He always said he needed to focus on _Barry_ , make sure he gets stronger, _faster_... It was like I wasn’t worth his time. I guess, it just got to me after a while.” You huffed through a small laugh - indifferent and cold - before saying, “I was mad at Barry for a really long time. I wanted to _be_ Barry.”  


“Because he was better?”  


You nodded and bit your lip, the action drawing Harrison’s gaze... “I was just tired of getting brushed off by someone I looked up to - tired of not being good enough to be a _pawn_ in his master plan.”

“Why are you telling me this?”  


Furrowing your brow, you allowed your gaze to drop to your lap. “I don’t know.”

And you really _didn’t_. If you had to guess, you would have blamed the drugs for your spontaneous babbling because this wasn’t you... You’d held that in for a really long time but now...? Now that Harrison had taken the time to help you improve your speed, you felt it gave you an unspoken invitation to open up and confide in the _very_ man you’d been afraid to talk to since he jumped through the breach. He wasn’t Eobard and you knew that, but it didn’t make the fear of his rejection or indifference any less real... He had the same face, after all - same _everything_.

“Anything else?”  


You looked up and watched him with wary eyes before blurting, “I know you killed Turtle...”

His posture suddenly seized up like he’d been tased and his face paled... 

 _“What?_ I’m not exactly a scientist but I’m not stupid...” You snipped. Oh, _yes_... This was the drugs talking because you had _definitely_ promised yourself you would take that little secret to your grave.

“You didn’t say anything?”  


“No...” You replied, shaking your head. “I figured you had Barry’s best interest in mind and probably knew something we didn’t.”  


Clenching his eyes, he shook his head and growled, “You have too much faith in my character.”

“Someone ought to...” You replied, causing him to lift his gaze and meet your stare. “You don’t seem to have a lot of faith in yourself so...”  


“So, you though it should be _you_...” It wasn’t a question. Harrison wiped a hand over his mouth and watched you for a few seconds before saying, “I’ll change the formula...”

At that you perked up. “Does that mean we’re going to keep working?”

“For now.”

You smiled. “You’re in charge, _right?”_

_“Right...”_

* * *

Three days after the first test, you were back on your feet with _no_ broken bones, courtesy of the speed-force permeating throughout your body and giving you the ability to heal quickly. And that was good for multiple reasons... Harry wasn’t too keen on letting the rest of the team know he was running tests and injecting you with an experimental speed-drug for his own gain - _everyone’s_ gain, really... Regardless, considering his history with Jay Garrick, he didn’t think the news would be very crowd-pleasing. So you kept your mouth shut and decided to lay low for a couple days until your arm had finished mending...

Harrison, as promised, had taken the last few days and tweaked the recipe to his drug; presenting it to you after he was sure you were _fully_ healed from that last mishap...

“Round two!” You started excitedly, placing your hands on the back of Harrison’s chair as he went over the new formula with you. “I’m ready!”  


“You’re going to experience side effects but not in the same way.” He began, spinning around and jerking a thumb over his should to point to the DNA graphic on the screen behind him. “I think I eliminated the element that was hurting you. But I don’t have a background in biochemistry so...”

“So, you don’t really know what you’re doing?”  


“I picked up a few things from Snow when she developed V-6 but...” He frowned and swiped a thumb over his bottom lip. “I don’t think I'm knowledgeable enough in this field to actually see this through.”

“You’re a  _scientist_...” You said quickly before reaching passed him to grab from the jet injector and hold it in front of him. “You can figure it out, right?”  


“Y/N...” He sighed. “It could take _years_ to develop this drug. It’s nowhere near-”  


“Why are you so determined to change my mind?” You bit, pushing the injector into his chest. “I want to help... _Let me.”_  


Biting the inside of his cheek, one of his hands lifted to the injector before taking hold of your wrist with the other; his thumb brushing over your pulse. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“It’s okay.” You nodded and forced a smile. “This is for _Barry_. Plus, we have morphine.”  


He apparently didn’t like that answer because his expression seemed to twist and harden with that habitual scowl. And then, with a sharp huff, he grabbed your other arm and pulled it forward before slapping your hand down against his shoulder... “Grip if you need to.”

You gave a dumb nod, remembering how you’d grabbed him a couple days ago when he last _doped_ you up and tried not to blush at the realization that he was trying to help you get through the pain of the initial injection by giving you something to hold onto... _Him_.

The cold tip of the injector touched the inside of your elbow as Harrison dragged your arm forward, causing your fingers to curl against his shoulders in anticipation to the pain. He hesitated, noticing the way your body had tensed and looked up to see you biting your lip...

“It’s fine.” You assured him. “I just... Its totally fine. Just do it.”  


And with that, he pulled the trigger for the second time... There was that sharp bite pinching against your skin and you whimpered. You fucking _whimpered_. It was all you could do not to drop to your knees and cry. You’d had shots before and were familiar with the sensation of a needle sinking into your skin but this was different... This was a gun with an experimental serum that manipulated an impossible element living in your body. The _speedforce_... Clenching your eyes, you felt your teeth grinding against one another as you continued working through that violent pinch that seemed to hold on until the bitter end.

It wasn’t until you heard Harrison’s voice that you opened your eyes and looked down to see him taking you in with that blue stare of his. His face was _close_... Too close but that was expected after the way you had defensively jerked forward due the the agonizing pain in your arm as the serum took hold. Your hand, with a mind of it’s own, had slid from his shoulder to his face; your fingers curling around the back of his head and brushing over the ends of his hair while your thumb tracked back and forth over his jaw... You had suddenly forgotten all about the pain and found yourself focusing on _Harrison_... Harrison and his pretty blue eyes.

You gulped, your gaze dropping to his mouth every so often as you continued trying to hold his captivating stare... And that’s when you saw his lips move. _Right_. He had said something, hadn’t he?

 _“What?”_ You breathed.  


He frowned. “What are you feeling?”

 _“Warm.”_ You answered honestly even though you were fairly certain it had nothing to do with the serum.  


“Anything else?”  


“Lightheaded.” And you still didn’t know if that had to do with Harrison or the Velocity but the feeling wasn’t at all unpleasant and you found yourself subconsciously lowering toward him, causing him to tilt his head back and part his lips in response; the hand that hand been fixed over your wrist was sliding up your arm.  


“What else?” His voice was barely above a rough scrape and _oh_ , that sent a delightful chill up your spine, especially since he was now gripping your bicep and pulling you closer until his lips brushed over the tip of your nose

Your heart rate seemed to accelerate to an uncomfortable speed and if you didn’t know any better, you would have said it was going to beat right out of your chest. You suddenly had an uncontrollable desire to kiss this man...

“Does it still hurt?” He asked with a voice so low you actually had to concentrate to hear it.  


“No. But I...” You were practically panting through this strange euphoric rush Harrison had elicited and began moving your thumb against his face once more before dragging it across his bottom lip. His hands lifted to to cup your jaw, causing your stomach to flip and thats when you felt it... The serum had finally wedged its way into your system; bringing an overwhelming rush of adrenaline with it.  


You leaned forward and pressed your lips to Harrison’s... Open-mouthed and ready as if he’d been waiting for you to make that leap, he pushed up and quickly got to his feet, never losing contact with your lips as you continued kissing him. One arm dropped and hooked around your waist to pull you closer while the other found the base of your neck; his thumb gliding from the arch of your throat to the hinge of your jaw before moving back down and starting all over again. He just couldn’t seem to get close enough and before long his hands were spreading across your lower back, fingers twitching against the fabric of your shirt as if he was trying to hold himself back from pulling you forward...

Biting his lower lip and dragging a grunt from somewhere deep in his lungs, you pulled back and looked up to see him watching you with an ardent gaze... You were buzzing against him - literally vibrating through the adrenaline which was something habitual for you... You often got the case of speedster jitters when you were nervous, scared, excited, or mad but this was _different_. It was almost as if you couldn’t slow down even if you wanted to.

Your brow buckled and he returned that gesture by frowning right back at you... “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know.” You said quickly - so _very_ quickly - as your body continued fluttering at a strange speed. You gripped Harrison by the shoulders and before you knew it, you were sliding to the ground; violently quaking as you went. It didn’t take long for you to realize something had gone wrong, what with the way your body was roughly jerking away from the ground... There was a deafening ring in your ears; so loud that you could barely hear Harrison’s voice as he yelled over you with his hand wiping at your mouth to clear away the foaming-drool pushing through your throat.  


“Snow!” Harrison barked as he hovered above your convulsing body.  _“Snow! Get in here!”_  


There was a flash of blue and the distant sound of heels _clacking_ hastily through the lab as Caitlin rushed in and suddenly, your world went black.


	2. Expedite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts!

“You _can’t_ keep running these tests.” Caitlin started.

“She came to _me_ …” Harrison answered through his habitual rasp. His tone wasn’t defensive but rather a bit desperate as if he wanted to explain how sorry he was without actually having to say it. “I wouldn’t have…” You couldn’t see him, but you could tell by the light stutter in his voice that he was shaking his head. 

“But you _did_.”

“She came to me.” That phrase seemed to be his failsafe.

“So, that gave you the bright idea to actually agree to injecting her with an experimental drug?”

“I’m trying to save my daughter - to _stop_ Zoom…” He snapped, causing you to shift against the gurney and stare toward the door. Honestly, if you hadn’t been hooked up to an IV, you would have zipped out of the med-bay by now to actually _participate_ in this conversation. “If we’re going to make the slightest amount of progress, then _this_ is what needs to be done.”

Save for the repetitive beep from the monitor beside you, it was quiet. And then…

“You know, sometimes you sound a _lot_ like Thawne.” Caitlin growled in that den-mother tone of hers.

And with that, you heard her heeled-steps _smacking_ down against the hard floors as she walked away. Seconds later, Harrison floated into the room, staring into a cup of coffee and looking about as chipper as the grim reaper, what with his chaotic hair sticking up and out in every direction as if he’d spent the better part of the afternoon trying to tear it from his scalp. The space beneath his eyes seemed darker than usual and of course, it was then you realized something was different… _Yes_ , you were lying on the gurney in the lab’s very own medical clinic but the change was so subtle you might not have noticed it if you hadn’t been working so closely with Harrison over the past couple of days.

He always seemed to be _stressed_ but this was more severe than his usual state of anxiety. Harrison was worried and if you had to take a wild shot in the dark, you would have guessed the source of that worry came from _you_ and your little episode after getting injected with that serum.

 _“Hi.”_ You started quietly, causing him to abruptly stop and jerk his stare away from his coffee mug to quickly find you.

“You’re awake.” The underlying relief in his tone made your heart actually ache.

“Yeah, I guess so…” You said with a shrug before dropping your eyes to the chair that had been pulled the side of your bed; the pillow and crumpled blanket between the legs catching your attention more than it probably should have but it gave more evidence to the fact that Harrison was worried and had very likely stayed with you while you were unconscious. Which felt strange even for someone who had kissed him because the thought of you and Harrison as something more than teammates was completely foreign and the idea of talking about it was almost horrifying… _Yes_ , you kissed and it was incredible but you were still trying to sort through your emotions and figure out if you really liked him, or if that brash act had been the drug taking over.

Taking a few steps forward, he moved toward the bed and sat down in his chair. It was then you definitely noticed he wasn’t wearing any shoes which was odd… Just a pair of dark grey socks that had you awkwardly gawking at his feet as if he’d decided to just stroll up to you wearing no pants instead of something as simple as _shoes_.

“How are you feeling?” He asked as he set his mug on the bedside table, causing you to tear your eyes away from his socks.

“I-Uh… I’m good. I _think_.” You said with a frown. “How long was I out?”

His already abject expression fell even further before briefly setting his jaw and answering, “Three days.”

 _“Oh…”_ You weren’t expecting that. Based on the pillow and blanket beneath Harry’s chair, the sock-covered feet in an attempt to get comfortable, his obvious state of exhaustion and that little argument he and Caitlin just had outside the room, you figured you’d been out for at least twelve hours but three days…? “Was it bad?”

“Your heart stopped.” He said, his tone dropping an octave and scraping almost painfully through his throat. “I didn’t know what to do… If Snow hadn’t been here…” That last part seemed to cripple his ability to speak because his voice slowly faltered before he pinched his eyes shut and took a deep breath through his nostrils.

“That must have been _some_ kiss.” You teased.

_“You’re not funny.”_

“Sorry.” Biting your lip and suddenly feeling brave, you asked, “Were you worried?”

Letting a deep breath drift through his nose, his eyes flicked to your face for a moment that felt like an eternity… He watched you; allowing his gaze to chart a course across every feature, every blemish, every gorgeous imperfection that was uniquely you before finally saying, “Snow’s right, you know… About these tests. We can’t keep doing this.”

 _“No…”_ You argued. “No. We _can_. We just need to-”

 _“Stop.”_ Harry growled before huffing and leaning forward; his elbows resting over his knees as his stare dropped to his feet. “I know you want to be like Barry… I know what thats like - _wanting_ something so much you’re willing to make endless mistakes to get it. But that…” A rough breath pushed from somewhere deep in his lungs and then, he was looking at you once more. “I want to be smart and brave… _Funny_. I want to be kind and generous but I’m not any of those things. I’m selfish and chaotic and just…”

“A dick?” You asked lightly, trying to sound playful but the response came out a little drier than you’d originally intended and it only caused his brows to slant. “Sorry.” You added quickly.

“It’s just…” He began again, still staring at you. “These past few days; spending that time with you and watching you pour everything you have into bettering yourself; you make me feel like I can be all of those things.” Whether you were comfortable with it or not, Harrison scooted his chair a bit closer and placed his forearms on the bed before leaning in and saying, “I can be whatever I want to be when I’m with you… You make it easy - for once something’s actually easy - it’s _easy_ for me to suppress my guilt, anger, worry… And those tests; I don’t want them to change you. You may not be the hero in this lab but you’re _weightless_. You don’t suffer the same way Allen does. _This_ …” He paused to briefly tap a finger over his heart. “It’s weighed down and he’s tethered to that burden… I don’t want that for you. You’re free and that’s what makes you so incredible. Your future doesn’t have to be his… The sky's the limit and you’re just sitting in this lab, waiting for something that I wouldn’t want for my worst enemy. Your speed doesn’t define you and it shouldn’t have to. You’re free, Y/N and that’s _remarkable_.”

Crossing your arms and biting on your lower lip to wrestle down a goofy grin, you shot him a side glance to see his deadly serious expression… “I didn’t know you were so good at sweet talk.”

“I’m good at a _lot_ of things.” He said without cracking a even a hint of a smile. “I want you to have the chance to find out what they are.”

“Is that your way of telling me you’d be sad if I was gone?”

“That’s my way of telling _you_ I’d rather have you than a test subject.” He answered, bracing his palms against the armrests of his chair and finally casting a comfortable smile before pushing himself to his feet and letting his eyes trace the contours of your face, over your cheeks and down the slope of your nose until they landed on your mouth.

With a strange knot twisting through your gut, you sucked in a dry breath and parted your lips before countering, “I’d rather be your girlfriend than your test subject.”

Lifting an eyebrow and biting at the side of his bottom lip, Harrison said, “That makes two of us.”

And with that, he bent over the bed and captured your lips for the second time; warm and _deep_ and somehow better than the first time with that perfect spread of liquid heat flowing through your stomach and all but melting you against the mattress. Your hands quickly found purchase against his shoulders; your fingers curling over the hard muscles beneath his thin t-shirt as you gripped and tried drawing him closer… And it worked but only for moment because the very instant Harrison pressed you down against your pillow, he pulled back and dropped his head - his forehead nearly touching your shoulder - before panting hot air against your neck.

“You need to rest.” He whispered, tipping down again to place a quick-thinking kiss near your collarbone, trying not to linger before pushing back and backtracking his sock-covered feet through the med-bay…

 _“Harry…?”_ You began once more, settling against your pillow and tucking your blanket under your chin; your voice reaching out, gripping him, causing him to place a hand on the doorframe and turn to look at you just before he was out. “What you said before about being funny and brave - about all that stuff you _want_ to be…”

_“Yeah?”_

“You are all of those things… You are to _me_.”

He gave you a genuine smile then, all teeth and dimples before huffing a small laugh and promising, “I’ll see you later.”

* * *

“I appreciate the princess treatment.” You started with a smile, placing your hands against Harry’s chest to hold him back. “Really, I do. But I think I can manage heading to the bathroom by myself.”

“I just...” He reasoned, lifting his grip to coil around your wrists; frowning and dragging your hands up to pepper a few kisses on the back of your knuckles before stepping a bit closer and saying, “It’s only been a few days since...”

“I _died_?” You teased.

“You’re still not funny...”

“I’m totally fine.” You laughed before shoving away and putting your leading foot forward. "Here, I'll prove it... Let me just do a few hundred laps around the lab really quick.

“Don’t you dare.” He bit, reaching for you and gripping your wrists once more. Despite the seriousness in his voice, that order held no merit because Harrison’s eyes were bright and playful as he stared you down.

“Look... I’ll take it slow.” You promised, pulling your arms out of his grasp and lifting your hands to his face before brushing your thumbs across his sharp cheekbones. _“Okay?”_

Harrison nodded; his hands landing on your hips... Dragging and gripping his way up the length of your sides, his fingers slid easily around your ribcage before leaning in and slanting his warm mouth against yours. His lips were always so soft and full and you couldn’t seem to help yourself from wrapping your hands around the back of his head; your fingers carding and twisting through his dark hair to pull him deeper. With a gorgeous groan pushing through his throat, Harrison dropped an arm and coiled his limb around your waist to get you closer while his other hand mindlessly found it’s way to your neck to allow his thumb to brush against the bolt in your jaw before nipping at you bottom lip with his teeth.

“Oh, holy make-outs, Batman... Get a room.”

And just like that, both you and Harrison were ripping away from one another like a couple of teenagers who had just gotten caught rounding second base... Cisco Ramon was standing in the doorway of the cortex; his arms crossed, brows buckled, and nostrils flaring as he stared at the pair of you.

“Sorry.” You muttered quickly, feeling the heat of embarrassment spreading through your face. “We were just... Um...”

Glancing to Harry for answers, you saw him tuck his hands into his pockets and briefly roll his stare toward the ceiling before taking a deep breath. “We were having fun.” He finally supplied, which caused you to flush even more considering the lack of tact in his statement.

Cisco grumpily held up his hands and said, “ _Gross_. I don’t need to know what y’all get up to just... Don’t do it near my computer.”

And with that, he was all but throwing himself down into a desk chair with enough force to make it roll away from the control panel… Okay? Both you and Harrison looked to each other for a moment before you finally took initiative and stepped forward to place a gentle grip on Cisco’s shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just…” With a harsh sigh, Cisco lifted a hand to his face to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Barry got hurt last night.”

 _“What?”_ Harrison growled.

“It’s not serious… I mean, since he’s a speedster it’s not that big of a deal but he’ll be benched for a few days.”

“Where is he?” You asked.

“Joe’s…” He answered. “He thought that was the best place for him to do a little R&R since-”

Cisco’s statement was cut short by the repetitive beep sounding from his phone as it vibrated against the desk; the three of you tilting your heads in the direction of the device as it whirred and buzzed over the worktop.

“Is that your meta-app alert?” Harrison asked.

 _“Shit.”_ Cisco muttered before snatching his phone. “Barry’s benched! What are we supposed to do?”

“Send me.” You said quickly, ignoring Harrison’s heated gaze as he pinned you with a glare.

 _“What?”_ Came Harrison very serious response.

“It’ll be fine. Just this once-”

“I can’t let you do this.”

His voice - desperate and heavy - hit you like a physical slap across the face and not because he was trying to hold you back or chauvinistically put restrictions on your ability to make your own decisions… Plain and simple, Harrison was scared. He was _scared_ and the thought of putting you out there - inexperienced and barely recovered from that last injection; the way your body rejected his serum - had him wrecked, what with the way a fine layer of sweat suddenly coated his reddening neck.

 _“Harry…”_ You started with gentle intent before he cut you off again.

“No.” He growled. “No… Absolutely not. Are you crazy?”

“No, wait.” Cisco cut in, his eyes shifting from side to side - tracking back and forth over seemingly nothing as he searched his own mind for a solution. “Dude, this is actually _perfect_.”

“Perfect?” Harry snapped. “We don’t know where Zoom is and you want Y/N, a speedster who isn’t even half as fast as the Flash, to go out there and fight a meta-human we know nothing about?”

 _“Ouch…”_ You breathed, slapping a hand over your heart and shooting Harrison a riled expression. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, _sweetheart_.”

“You can be mad at me.” He asserted quickly with a shrug, his pretty blue stare pulling away from Cisco to land back on you; the seriousness in his eyes actually managing to make your heart throb. “Maybe that’s selfish but I want you safe.”

You had to concentrate on keeping your head up - keeping your stare bolted on the intensity in his burning gaze… He didn’t have to say another word for you to understand that he was pleading - silently _begging_ for you to put your hero complex aside and let the police handle this one. He blinked - his lashes fluttering momentarily as if it was a challenge not to clench his eyes and look away; the mere potential of you going out there and getting hurt internally wrecking him. Through great effort, he somehow managed to keep his darkening stare fastened to you. _Please, don’t go. You’re not Barry._

“I’ll stay.” You blurted; watching the tension lift from Harrison’s shoulders as if there was a physical weight actually shoving them down. Swallowing hard and reaching out to wrap your fingers around his, you whispered, “I’m _staying_.”

“You can’t.” Cisco began, almost frantically as he hovered over his computer and streamed a live news feed to the monitors mounted on the walls above Barry’s suit-mannequin, inadvertently breaking the moment between you and Harrison.

Your eyes landed on the screen to see a short, yet stockily built man with a stream of electricity whirring around him crouching down in the middle of a cleared street; his hands wrapping up underneath the nearest parked vehicle - his cover - before lifting it and tossing it toward the gaggle of police officers who’d been firing at him.

“He may not be fast but whoever Rambo is; he’s _strong_. And he’s… _Sparky_.” Cisco said, pointing to the monitors. “The CCPD can’t do this on their own. They need backup.”

“She can’t.” Harrison whispered, turning his imploring gaze back on you. “Y/N… _No.”_

“I have to try.” Came your thoughtless response as you continued watching that meta tear through the streets.…

* * *

Pulling your cowl over your head, you turned toward the team and gave a big thumbs up… “Feels okay… How does it look?”

“You look like a comic-con reject…” Harrison said bluntly, his gaze hard and narrow as he watched you flex your shoulders beneath the leather of your new suit.

“Okay, asshole…” Cisco bit. “I’ve been developing this suit ever since we found out Y/N was a speedster but after the whole _physcobard_ thing happened, we never got a chance to work with her ‘cause, you know… The other you had plans to go after Barry.”

“Ramon…” Harrison snapped after noting the way you’d ducked your head. “Why is it white?”

“Yeah, Cisco…” Caitlin jested with a smirk. “Why is it _white?_ ”

“That’s not friendship.” He said as-a-matter-of-factly through a grating whisper before bumping her with his elbow. “Nevermind the color.”

“He chose _white_ because at the time, he had a little crush on Y/N.” Caitlin supplied with a snigger. “He said she was an angel and I quote, _too pure for this world.”_

Shaking his head, he frowned and growled out, “What is wrong with you?”

“You never told me that.” You laughed.

“We had a lot going on at the time.”

 _“Right…”_ You responded, giving him a smile. “So, do I get a cool name or are we just going with Y/N for now?”

“You’re not ready for this one…” Cisco beamed, his grin all but splitting his face in half. “Wait for it… _Wait_ …”

 _“Ramon.”_ Came Harrison’s lethal tone.

 _“Reverse-Zoom.”_ He was nodding, bless him. “Good, isn’t it?”

The three of you watched him; Harry standing there with a scowl on his brow while Caitlin cocked her head to the side as if she was trying to think of a way to make herself like it… You on the other hand, just came right out and said, “We’re going to keep trying but that is a great back up.”

“C’mon, people.... That one was _lit_!”

“It’s really not your best.” Caitlin said gently. “Maybe you’re losing your touch.”

 _“Fine.”_ He conceded. “It’s a work in progress but more importantly if you’re gonna start going on the field, you’re going to need a name.”

“Reverse-Zoom is fine for now.” You shrugged. “Now, let’s get this guy.”

* * *

_“Y/N?_ Are you okay?” Frenzied and on the precipice of panic, Cisco’s voice drifted through your headset.

 _“Y-Yeah…”_ You grunted, pulling yourself to your feet while wrapping an arm around your freshly bruised ribcage before turning back toward that meta to see him cracking his knuckles and smirking; looking pretty damn proud of himself for catching you at your fastest and tossing you right into the nearest fire hydrant. _Fuck_... “I’m good.”

“Look, Y/N, you gotta stop trying to hit him straight on… Dude’s a freight train.” Cisco said quickly. “Hey, _freight train_ is a pretty good name for this one-”

 _“Cisco.”_ You snarled, slapping a hand over your com. “Not a good time.”

“My bad…”

“He sucks energy out of the nearby power lines.” Caitlin cut in. “All that electricity feeds into his strength… You’re going to need to shut him down.”

“Any suggestions?”

 _“Power Surge!”_ Cisco enthused, the sound of a hard clap echoing in the background of your com as Caitlin dealt out a habitual scold by hitting his shoulder.… “Right, _water_. You’re gonna need to dunk this guy. It should turn all that power around and create an-”

 _“Electric shock…”_ You finalized with a tired nod because _fuck_ , Barry made this crime fighting crap look easy; your eyes landing on Power Surge as he rushed toward you. “Got it.”

And with that, you were zipping circles around your opponent; picking up speed and pushing him back as he took wild swings through the stream of lightning trailing in your wake. It wasn’t until you were near that very same fire hydrant you'd previously been thrown into that you stopped in your tracks, giving Power Surge a clear shot to knock you flat on your ass. Rearing back and putting all his weight behind his oncoming swing, he shot forward and thrust a fisted hand toward you with every intent of punching you across the continent but at the last possible second, you bolted away… With a metallic _thump_ , Power Surge bare-knuckled right into the side of the hydrant, the pressure of that brutish impact causing it to snap at the base and break the valve. And only a moment later, a heavy charge of water erupted from the broken hydrant and wrapped around Power Surge like a tide; sparks of electric whirring through the spray as he hollered and dropped to the ground… Twitching and jerking through the aftershocks as the electricity faded away, he groaned and blacked out before you took a step forward and pushed a foot into his shoulder to roll him onto his back.

“Get it, girl!” Cisco praised through your headset. “Now, grab him and haul him in so we can pipeline his ass…”

You were beaming and practically bouncing on the balls of your feet… You may not have been the Flash, or good enough to be in Thawne’s psycho-master-plan but you were a speedster and no matter how unpracticed you were, that ability was yours - part of your identity and it made you who you were. Nothing was going to take that - _this_ \- your victory away from you… _Your speed._

Or so you thought…

“You’re not The Flash…” Came a demonic drawl from somewhere behind, causing an almost painful chill to permeate up your spin.

 _Fuck…_ Barely shifting and slowly tossing a glance over your shoulder, you saw him standing there; the flickering of the streetlight overhead making his presence that much more daunting like you were both standing in the middle of a horror film… Forcibly turning and swallowing down the lump in your throat, you locked eyes with none other than Zoom as he cocked his head to the side like a feral dog that was far too perceptive for its own good.“What do I call you, little hero?” He gnashed out, almost condescendingly before stepping forward.

Suddenly Reverse-Zoom sounded a bit lackluster so, you landed on, “ _Nobody_.”

He chuckled then - low and dark and all but resembling the biting growl of a predator threatening to crush your very bones… “Well, _someone_ defeated one of my officers.” He snapped in a sickeningly playful way before gesturing to Power Surge, who was still lying in the middle of the street like a bum who’d just gotten off a bender. “Was it you, little hero?”

“Y/N.” Caitlin started through a frightened rasp. _“Run.”_

“Um… About that...” You began, playing up as much innocence as possible before giving him a shrug.

You never actually finished that thought because the second you saw him take a step forward, you took off, not bothering to give Zoom another glance as you dashed back toward the lab. You’d been pretty confident before, what with you knocking Power Surge off his short-lived throne and actually having a successful night in playing Barry-The-Flash-Allen but now…? Blue sparks enveloped you and you stopped short, your feet scuffing against the concrete beneath you at you slid to a halt; Zoom standing right in front of you as if he’d been waiting…

“Not very fast are we, _little hero…?”_

Before you had a chance to react, the sound of a charge filled your ears as Zoom propelled himself forward… Barely getting enough momentum worked up to sprint in the opposite direction, you turned and made a vain attempt to run but before you were able to effort any distance between you and the monster snapping at your heels, he had a clawed gauntlet coiling around your neck and with that, he was wrenching back and slamming you to the ground.

Air shoved through your lungs and you practically had to gasp through fits of exertion to catch your breath, what with Zoom’s claws still wrapping around your neck and holding you against the ground like pup that’d been too rowdy and was now being scolded by an older alpha in the pack. Your fingers dug into the dark leather covering his arms - scraping and scratching in an effort to pull him back but instead of slackening his grip, Zoom tightened his hold and pinched your now straining throat, causing you to cough and swallow against his merciless grasp.

Despite the fact that your worst nightmare was hovering overhead and choking the life right out of you, you couldn’t seem to fight back or even tear your eyes away from that wicked mask of his as he snarled down at you. A sob bubbled through your throat; your nails dragging against his forearms and just before your vision faded completely into that dark abyss of unconsciousness, he pulled his hands away and stood; his towering height looming over you as you laid helpless against the hard ground, now rasping for air.

“Run, little hero…” He dared, almost as if he was going to enjoy whatever came next in this twisted encounter. _“Run.”_

Shooting to your feet and not bothering to weigh your options, you took off down the street with adrenaline pumping through your veins and the feeling of actual fire under your heels as you ran as fast as you possibly could… Zoom was playing a game; his prey-drive taking full control as he tore after you, zipping out and around with blue streams of electricity wrapping around your speeding form and redirecting your path, causing you to do a series of one-eighties and change course every time he bolted in front of you.

 _Fuck…_ He was fast and the very second he decided to quit toying with you, you were toast.

 _“Y/N…”_ The voice coming through your com was low, scraping and very worried… It was Harrison. “Listen, sweetheart.” He tried again, making an obvious effort to control his pitch and reach you with something akin to soothing. “You can do this. You can get away.”

“I can’t!” You gasped, swiftly changing directions again after a volley of blue sparks came rushing toward you. “He’s faster than-”

“You can...” Harrison said quickly, his voice breaking and losing that bit of authority he’d been striving to gain for both your benefits. “You _can.”_ He said again, this time with more conviction. “I know you can do this…”

A hot torrent licked at the back of your neck as Zoom darted passed you, his azure sparks jolting you a bit after his teasing fingers grazed your nape.“I can’t-Harry I-”

 _“Don’t._ Don’t panic.” He pleaded through helpless remorse. “Please, I can’t be there… I don’t want to hear you cry when I can’t…” His voice faltered and you heard him take a deep breath. “Run, baby. Run to me.” 

 _“Harry.”_ You sounded hysterical and almost nothing like yourself but in that moment it didn’t matter because Zoom was gaining and practically breathing down your neck with the threat of ripping into you and if you couldn’t get home - get to Harrison - you were going to die. “Harrison, he’s-”

 _“Breathe.”_ He ordered, his voice strained and muffled as if he’d been gritting his teeth. “Breathe and feel the speedforce. _Feel it_. Let it consume you and run right into me.”

Taking a deep breath, you continued darting through the city with Zoom still running just milliseconds behind and concentrated on Harrison’s voice as he coaxed you into a higher state of accuracy - coaxed your speed to flow freely through your body; the rapidity of your charge increasing with every step you took.

With a resounding growl eliciting from over your shoulder, you ducked your body and quickly turned on your heel before changing course, sprinting in the opposite direction and bolting head-on toward Zoom, which of course threw him off and caused him to pitch defensively to brace for the impact of your oncoming attack but instead of actually taking a shot at him, you hurtled passed and flung yourself down the street, your gold surge of lightning reddening as you picked up speed. 

“Do you have any idea how fast you’re going?” Harrison asked, his voice lighter now that you were zipping further and further out of Zoom’s unforgiving reach. You shook your head without thinking about how Harrison was on the other side of the com and couldn’t actually see your reply. Regardless, you heard him breath out a playful humph and say, “You’re running faster than Allen… And from the look of your tracker, you surpassed Zoom too.”

“Dude,” Cisco said through the com - somewhere in the background as he manned the computers. “She’s coming in hot. She’ll be here in _three… two… one.”_

By the time you shot through the cortex, Harrison was pushing away from the control panel and moving toward your now red torrent. Running at a controlled pace, you flung your arms around his firm torso and crashed into him; a sharp grunt knocking from his lungs after he hit the floor and made an attempt to push himself to his elbows. He didn’t get very far because you were straddling his hips and wrapping limbs around his neck… It didn’t matter if he was too old for a speedster to be slamming into him or that Cisco and Caitlin were right there watching you pin him to the ground because you needed him… Right then and there, you needed to take refuge in his strong arms - a luxury you never thought you’d have another chance to experience.

Pinching his brows and puffing out a sigh of relief, his arm hooked around your waist to drag you closer and bury his face into the crook of your neck, allowing your gloved fingers to curl in his hair and hold him against you.

“I don’t want to be Barry anymore…” Was the first thing you said, gripping his hair even harder and relishing in the feel of him as he shifted beneath you; pushing himself upright and circling you with his other arm. “I want to be _me_ and I wanna do that with _you_ … I want _us_.”

Harrison snorted and pulled away, his face still twisting in delight as he looked at you like he’d never seen anything as beautiful in his entire life. With his hands lifting to you face, he pulled back your now scuffed up cowl, giving himself the opportunity to touch your face - skin to skin before saying, “I want us too.”

Your forehead fell against his and for the longest moment, he closed his eyes and breathed you in like a man dying for air that could only be provided by your proximity; his thumbs brushing your cheeks as he continued cupping your face and holding you close.

“Do you still want to be a hero?” He finally asked, opening his eyes and lifting his icy stare to find yours.

“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be…” You jested with a shrug. _“Why?”_

“I was thinking… If you’re going to pursue a life fighting against evil and taking up for the greater good, we should probably get you a better name.”

“What did you have in mind?”

 _“Expedite.”_ He breathed with a wide grin before leaning back to gauge your response.

“It’s _perfect.”_  

You smiled and pressed forward to slant your mouth against his with every intention of kissing him silly - until he was puckered and pink but before you even tried, he was gripping your face and holding you back, whispering against your lips, _“I love you”_

And then, you were kissing him with reckless abandon because somehow, this man had swept you off your feet… And that didn’t bother you one bit.

* * *

**_The End..._ **


End file.
